


Pain of Victory

by confessorlove



Category: Hunger Games (2012), Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Heartbreak, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-08 16:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/confessorlove/pseuds/confessorlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While in the arena there can only be one victor.  When it comes down to Gale, Katniss, and Cato the Capitol will only accept one.  The only question is, how the cards will fall?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pain of Victory

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my friend in the hopes it makes her cry as much as I cried filling her prompt. She prompted _when it comes down to Katniss and Gale in the games, Gale sacrifices himself to save Katniss_. This is a tad longer than I originally planned, but I hope it’s what she wanted to break her heart.

All the pain, blood, sweat, tears, and frustration had brought her to this moment. Katniss knew that neither she nor Gale had ever expected to make it this far and yet they had both survived where other tributes had fallen. Besides Gale the only other tribute remaining was Cato. They were the only ones left. They were so close to victory, but for Katniss victory didn’t matter. She just wanted to go home. She wanted both of them to go home. This wasn’t fair and yet it was life. Even after everything they stuck together and would until the bitter end. For some people the friendships and lives they had before the arena were forgotten the moment they stepped inside but it hadn’t been like that for her and Gale. Their friendship was their strongest asset and it kept them going. They were a team but unfortunately they wouldn’t both make it out of this alive. That was becoming more and more obvious with each passing day.

When night fell she stayed huddled against his larger frame for warmth. They weren’t stupid enough to start a fire now. Cato would be looking for them and she refused to let him get the drop on them. This year District Twelve was going to have two victors. The rule change was a blessing and she hoped they would both make it back home as a chilly breeze rustled the leaves around them. In the arena they were both constantly on high alert and that wasn’t changing now, but something about the rustle of the leaves seemed different. That worried Katniss and she bit the inside of her cheek while her eyes scanned the darkness all around them.

Suddenly Katniss felt Gale’s hand tightly grip her forearm and she tensed. Her gaze flicked up to his and she knew in an instant that he sensed something was off. The index finger of his free hand rose and he made a quick shushing motion in the dark to remind her to stay quiet. She was lucky they were close enough and could see it. Whatever Gale had sensed could bring the end of their dream if they weren’t careful. If they didn’t stay quiet then all hopes for District Twelve’s victory would be lost. The steady rumble of a growl that sounded almost like a dog suddenly filled her ears and she tensed. Gale tugged on her arm and the pair of them were on their feet in a flash.

As the growling and snarling grew louder they ran through the forest. Twigs and brush ripped at her legs and she could feel blood oozing down from a new fresh cut but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting away from whatever animal seemed to be chasing them through the woods. “Don’t look back,” Gale told her as they ran through the brush. She nearly tripped over a log but Gale’s grip on her hand kept her upright. Falling now could mean death and they couldn’t risk it. This game was almost over and they were going to win.

She nodded and squeezed his hand as they ran through the brush. Whatever was chasing them seemed to be leading them back to the cornucopia. There could only be one reason for that and Katniss was already dreading it. This was it. The games would end tonight one way or another, she was certain of that. 

It seemed like they had been running forever when they finally emerged into the clearing. Out of the corner of her eye Katniss spotted Cato running at full speed towards the cornucopia. Behind him were some of the biggest dogs she had ever seen and instantly she knew they were the same things that were chasing her and Gale. “Look,” Katniss called out as they ran across the clearing and she pointed towards Cato. They needed to get there first and silently prayed that they would. It seemed like ages but also mere seconds before they reached the base of the cornucopia. “Up you go,” he said before boosting her up out of harms way. It was a quick, fluid motion which made Katniss grateful that Gale was there with her. She needed to get up and without him it would have been a challenge. Gale followed her up quickly and they stood there watching from their perch as the dogs drew closer and closer. 

Cato was there as the howling, snapping, and snarling grew louder. Katniss watched as he pulled himself up onto the cornucopia and she took a step backwards, the bow gripped tightly in her hand. Before she could even voice a protest, Gale stepped in front of her to shield her from Cato should he try anything. She was strong and could protect herself but this was Gale, her Gale. He would never forgive himself if he hadn’t tried to protect her. That was just the type of person he was and she knew that. Katniss knew that better than she knew herself and it made the whole situation worse. They all deserved to go home and yet that Career was standing there, blocking their path home.

She stepped backwards again when Cato lunged at Gale with a knife gripped in his hand. It was as if instinct had completely taken over her body while she watched the pair tussle atop the cornucopia. The blade of Cato’s knife nicked Gale’s forearm and she saw the crimson blood drip even in the dark. She knocked an arrow and drew her bow without so much as a second thought. Quickly she posed to take her shot but as Gale and Cato struggled over the knife and control she couldn’t get a clear shot. She was worried about hitting Gale and that kept her from firing. Killing Cato was one thing, she’d be protecting Gale, but hurting Gale was something completely unimaginable. She couldn’t do it no matter what happened.

Gale was bigger than Cato but Cato had the knife. Never before had Katniss felt so completely useless. She couldn’t take the shot and she felt weak because of it. Cato cried out in pain as Gale twisted his arm but a swift move from the career knocked Gale backwards. He stumbled over Cato’s foot and his hold on the other tribute was released. Cato seized the opportunity and she felt her heart leap into her throat. “Gale,” she cried as he turned to face her, just as Cato plunged his knife low into Gale’s side. Allowing the opening was a mistake on Gale’s part but the Career had trained for years in order to survive in these exact conditions. They were at a disadvantage no matter what happened. She was frozen as the world spiraled out of control all around her. There was nothing that could be done to help Gale and then Cato was falling. Gale gripped him and tripped him, sending the pair toppling down to the snarling dogs below. Her hand flew to her mouth and she gasped before rushing to the side of the cornucopia. The dogs were mauling them both but she spotted Cato and quickly took the shot. The arrow went straight through his neck, severing his spine, and a moment later the canon boomed in the distance. Cato was dead.

It was barely a second after the canon sounded the dogs scattered and Katniss quickly slid down from the cornucopia. Her bow fell to the grass as she rushed towards Gale’s prone form. His clothes were torn and bloody from both the dog’s work and the stab wound Cato had inflicted. It made her sick to see him hurt so much and she had to swallow back the sudden bile rising in the back of her throat. There was a large bloody gash across his face, his breathing was shallow, blood continued to seep from the stab wound on his side but Gale was still alive. District Twelve had two victors, or they should have. She was waiting for the booming voice of Caesar when she dropped to her knees and carefully cradled his head in her lap. Already tears were spilling from her eyes. “Help him,” Katniss screamed up at the sky before turning her attention back to him. 

Through her teary vision she could barely see him but she knew it was bad. “Catnip,” he murmured softly. Gale’s voice was barely more than a whisper and she knew he was dying. “You won.” His hand lifted slightly and she reached out to hold it. Even now their hands fit perfectly together but his was coated red with his sticky blood. 

Katniss squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push her emotions away. “We won,” she said as a tear spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheek. The longer they stayed there the more her sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach was becoming more and more real. There would only be one victor. That had been the plan all along. “You’re gonna be okay, Gale.” Her voice cracked with emotion as she held tightly to his hand. She dropped her head down and pressed a light kiss to his forehead. Beneath her lips she could feel the stickiness of his blood but she tried to ignore it. “You’ll be fine,” she murmured against his skin while her free hand sought out the deep knife wound on his side. She applied pressure to try and stop the bleeding but deep down she knew if the people of the Capitol weren’t coming to help them then he was gone. It was only a matter of time.

He nodded slightly while struggling to breathe. It was easy to see that each passing second was zapping the life right out of him, but Katniss wouldn’t let go. “I knew you could,” he struggled to breath out while she looked down at him. He had to live. They promised if the last two tributes standing were from the same district then they would both win. Gale coughed then and a tiny river of blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

“We did it, Gale.” Katniss was firm on that as she looked through her tear-filled eyes down into his. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” She bit down hard on her lower lip to keep the rest of her tears from spilling over. “They’re coming. They’ll make you better,” she murmured almost as though she was begging the people of the Capitol watching this display, for their sick amusement, to come and help her. This was Rue all over again only now it was worse. This was Gale. She couldn’t lose Gale. They were two sides of the same coin and without him she would be incomplete.

The steady rise and fall of his chest became more and more shallow with each second that ticked by and she wanted to scream for them to help her, but her voice seemed broken. All she was able to manage was a hoarse whisper while looking into the light quickly fading from his eyes. “I love you, Katniss.” His voice was so soft that she could barely hear him. If her head been not tipped so low she wouldn’t have heard him. He was fading quickly now and Katniss didn’t know how to stop it. There was nothing she could do and never in her life had she felt more useless. He was almost gone and no one was coming to help him.

His words made her heart swell for a brief moment before reality crashed over her like waves upon a shore. He was dying. “I love you too,” she whispered in response as her lips lightly touched his. Nothing in the whole world had ever felt as right as Gale’s lips against hers and yet it was a feeling rapidly fading away. His lips were dry and in places sticky with blood yet they were his. She wanted him to know she was there no matter what happened she was going to be there for him until the very end. When she pulled back a moment later her tears ran down her cheeks before dripping on his. There was no worse pain than this, Katniss was sure of that. They’d been given hope but it was stripped away in the cruelest way imaginable.

Gale’s hand went limp in hers a moment later and her heart almost seemed to stop right along with his. The final cannon sounded in the distance and she stifled a sob. Gale was gone and no one but the Capitol was to blame. They were the one who had broken the rule. “Ladies and gentlemen, the victor of the seventy fourth annual Hunger Games from District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen,” the voice of Caesar filled the arena and she blinked away the tears that refused to leave her as she sat there with Gale’s body. How could she celebrate when he was gone? She knew one thing for certain; this was not the victory she had hoped for. The cost of victory was far too high and she didn’t feel victorious. In some ways Katniss lost the most of anyone of the tributes. She lost her innocence, her kindness, and her love. It had all been stripped away for the entertainment of the rich. Where was the victory in that?


End file.
